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Bognor photo by Matt Sanders

B: First question. Who is Bognor?
Luke: Well, Bognor consists of everyone within its township, currently a population of 22,555 which is a nice round number.
B: Haha! Bognor England, right? Your native land.
Luke: Yes. But it is also me. My solo project, which I do eventually want to turn into a band, but as of right now, it’s just me making music in my bedroom. I like to describe it as a mix of, like, Grandaddy, Built To Spill, and Sparklehorse. Or at least, that’s the goal. I’m sure people hear more sort of Bon Iver and Sufjan things. I don’t know. It’s folky with a lot of electronic elements and synthesizers. Though the next record will probably be R&B.
B: That seems like a natural progression for you.
Luke: Right, maybe I’ll father the folk-rap movement.
B: So, I started out asking about Bognor, but I feel like this interview could go lots of directions. Between your music, and your comics, primarily, because you’re involved with multiple projects with both.
Luke: It’s true, but it all ties in at the end, so go where your heart leads.
B: Okay, well let’s keep going with music for now. Since this is all tied into the soundtrack project initially.
Luke: That’s appropriate.
B: You wrote “Don’t Go There” specifically for the soundtrack. What was that experience like? First of all, writing for a book, but also one you hadn’t read yet?
Luke: Haha, yes. Well, most of my songs have some sort of nature/technology theme anyway, so it was quite natural. I knew I wanted to write a song about water again, and I had written this line years and years ago (seriously, like 6 or 7 years) that said “Nothing grows there anymore, so we don’t go there anymore.” I knew your book was about environmental causes and trees, and so that seemed like a perfect fit. We were considering using the track “I Am Not Water” from my album for the soundtrack, and this song is somewhat ironically a response to that song. Everyone knows we’re all made of a huge amount of water, but what that song presupposes is, maybe we aren’t? But the song that went on the soundtrack kind of says “Okay, maybe I am.”
B: Water and whiskey, anyway.
Luke: Exactly. Whiskey is awesome. There’s this scene in Brian Cox’s ‘Wonder of the solar system’ where he talks about arctic ice and says how brilliant it tastes in whiskey. “Death or whiskey; that’s my kind of pond.” I am convinced that lead to that line (“Whiskey rivers in my system sterilize them and the sun’s afraid to show / to show what I should know.”)
B: Yeah, the song has some darkness to it. Maybe death crept in also?
Luke: Yeah, most of my songs are pretty sentimentally introspective. I think despite my shiny exterior, there’s some dark stuff. I guess that’s where it comes out. It’s more positive than it appears, it’s more like “Hey, there’s some dark stuff in my head and it’s not very productive or helpful, so let’s not even go there.”
B: Well, music has always seemed like a healthy outlet for that stuff.
Luke: Definitely.
B: You mentioned this is a solo project, but when you played your songs at the Picket Line release party you had a band.
Luke: Yeah, I hate playing music by myself, especially since my songs are really boring with just a guitar and a voice. On the record, even though the songs at the party didn’t sound anything like it, there are tons of layers of keyboards and percussion and guitars. It’s meant to be texture-based, and not so focused on “technical ability” or “talent.” This record I’ve been referring to, for those who don’t know, is a full length I released in 2008.
B: That’s Breatharian right?
Luke: Breatharian! That’s right. You can download it for free at bognor.bandcamp.com. I played all the instruments and all, because I’m AMAZING. Just kidding. I want to have a permanent band eventually, I just leave everything to the last second, so I bribed some friends the week before the show to be a power trio with me.
B: So, your song-making process right now is very personal, as in you can do it all yourself on your own timeline and make all the creative decisions. How would having a band change that process for you?
Luke: I wouldn’t have to do all the work. And I’d play more than one show a year… the problem is that, yeah, when it’s on my timeline, I take forever to record because for some reason I refuse to overdub. Everything you hear was done in one take.
B: Doesn’t it scare you to give up some of that creative control, though?
Luke: No, I need someone or someones to filter the bad ideas and probably motivate me. And provide more creative input and come up with cool stuff. My ideas get old to me. My bass player at that show is a veteran, and he really kept rehearsals on track. I’m terrible at time management.
B: So, any interested musicians who are reading this, take note!
Luke: Srsly! I think I have most of my band picked out already though.
B: So what’s the holdup?
Luke: Uhhhhm, well I guess, as you noted, I do a lot of creative type things, and right now I’m more occupied with the visual stuff. And I’m tired of all my old songs, so I’m gonna do some writing and recording before I start trying to book shows (another headache) and find practice space.
B: Let’s talk more about those visual projects! Because you, too, draw comics.
Luke: Trewth. I’m mostly making my favorite, longest-running and strangest one: Orcaskine. Because it’s very easy to make, and I enjoy it. I also plan to resume my journal comic and my comic about being a barista (Baristocracy). And I’m excited about a one-panel venture I’m making called Everything In Moderation, which is also the name of my first comic and another one I tried. But it’s more about science, the cosmos and archaeology.
B: That’s quite a diverse lot of projects you’ve got going on there. You mentioned Orcaskine takes priority, in a way. How did that comic get its start?
Luke: It’s funny, like seven years ago I bought a Moleskine “comic and storyboarding” notebook on a whim. Half of it has four tiny panels per page, and I was like “What should I draw a comic of?” The Orca was the first thing I drew, and it remains exactly the same to this day, except with more accurate Orca biology.

B: What’s the benefit of working within such firm parameters like that? Because each comic is the same format, and really, the drawings in most panels don’t change.
Luke: I’ve always been a firm believer in the idea that limitations force creativity, and I’ve had a lot of fun with that. It also is a nice enduring gimmick that I like, one, because it’s small, and two, because I don’t have to make it look really nice. It’s always drawn pen-first, so there’s no do-overs. I think it helps with consistency too. It’s not quite so limiting as a Dinosaur Comics, which is literally the same picture in every panel, for years and years. But it’s not totally open format either, and I’m terrible with decisions.
B: Haha, but you make decisions about the pacing of the the jokes. Do you think it’s refined your comedic timing?
Luke: It’s funny you say that, because in a way, it’s screwed that up for me. With Orcaskine, if there is a punchline, it’s almost never at the end of the strip. The funniest bit is usually in the second or third panels. It’s incredibly self-serving, but it’s also resonated most with other people whose sense of humour is similarly twisted as mine. That, and people just love a good killer-whale.
B: Yeah, you’ve really tapped into a current love of all things aquatic.
Luke: “Selfish Stream.” You’ve always known that about me, even before you did. (Luke is referencing a mistake I commonly make where I refer to his name Selfish Steam as Selfish Stream.)
B: Haha, yes, and even your SONGS are about water! So do you foresee any crossover between your own comics and music projects? Now that you’ve been a part of a crossover between your music and my comics?
Luke: Only in the most literal sense, like drawing journal comics where I’m playing or recording. The worlds definitely overlap though, as far as self-publishing comics and self-publishing music. Putting together album art is really informed by the same aesthetics and physical tools. My friend Kait drew a one panel comic of me which I used in the album art for Breatharian. But I don’t know if I see myself creating content that overlaps much. Although I’ll almost certainly steal your comic/soundtrack idea.
B: Ha, go ahead, I stole it from others, I’m sure!
Luke: I’ll have my Orcaskine collection to release soon. I’ll do it then. I’m working on publishing all my creative efforts on my website. That’s like the hub. The site’s not done yet, but it’s where all my comics urls go to.
B: Yeah, talk a little about self publishing. Like you said, you put your own comics and music out, and of course you put them online.
Luke: It’s just the easiest way to get your output to a lot of people at one time. The internet, I mean. I think people will always value having physical objects such as books, especially in the comics world. The entire economic model for releasing music has changed, so getting on a label isn’t that important unless you’re touring and need a lot of money. This way, it’s virtually cost-free.
B: So for internet publishing it makes sense, but what about when it comes time to making those physical objects? That gets to be an expensive endeavor.
Luke: I really enjoy making objects like my Orcaskine books. I think the fact that they get bought means people value that as well. I guess that’s what I mean as far as self-publishing: making your stuff as you normally would, put it online for free so people can see it, and they will support you and make it fiscally viable if what you do resonates with them.
B: So your online fan base pretty well funds your production line?
Luke: I don’t have any experience putting out anything that costs more than a pittance, so I can’t speak to that really. But as far as my production line goes, I would say it gets funded. I don’t have a cohesive shop online right now though, so it doesn’t happen as much as it should, or could. I guess it’s all just theoretical for me right now. I mean, putting out a book like yours, really high quality and physically, pretty big, something to be super proud of… it’s hard to get that sort of thing funded, and hopefully that’s something I will have to tackle at some point.
B: There’s always Kickstarter.
Luke: There’s always Kickstarter. I have my own issues with that, which maybe aren’t fully formed in my head. But I think that’s a phenomenal way to get people involved and also get some money. It annoys me when bands use it to fund their albums, but that’s it.
B: You do have aspirations to put out a bigger work, then? Like, a graphic novel? Or like you were saying, a collection of other comics?
Luke: Yeah, I’m going to make a really nice collection of my first 200 Orcaskine comics with bonuses and sketches and stuff. I’m terrible at writing stories, so probably not a proper book. I might kill Orcaskine at that point. I really like books. I like how they feel and look and smell. I want to have something like that that I’ve made out there in the world. And I think it’ll make people laugh.
B: What comics do you like?
Luke: Let’s see… I like Overcompensating a lot. Wigu was one of my first webcomics. I think, though, that Nedroid might be my favorite. It’s always so funny, and really cute and simple, but you can tell the dude has great drawing chops. But doesn’t go overboard. It’s really well designed. I’m way more into funny strips than serious things or soaps. Although I read the Comics Curmudgeon every day. It’s a blog that kind of lampoons a select bunch of newspaper dailies, which are all terrible. Your Mary Worth, Spider Man, etc. I mean, Calvin and Hobbes is the biggest, best comic out there for probably most creators. Gary Larson was massively formative for me. Family Circus, which was maybe or maybe not something I read a lot of when I was like six.
B: Family Circus is one of your favorite comics?
Luke: Haha yes, in a way. In that it truly is terrible and so old and incomprehensible most of the time. It’s an interesting study in the timeline of comics.
B: Yeah. And who didn’t love following Jeffy’s dotted path around the neighborhood?
Luke: Exactly! If you take a bike light that is flashing and run around in front of a camera with its shutter open at night, you can recreate that dotted line in real life.
B: I’ll try that.
Luke: I don’t know, comics as a medium has always been… just magnetic for me. I’ve never been able to avoid it, and when people started putting them on the internet, I was like “Yes, this is for me.”
B: That’s awesome… so I hate to ask you this, but if you HAD to choose between music and comics…
Luke: Oh boy, haha. Ummmmmm. Okay, I assume you mean making music or making comics, not listening to music or reading comics?
B: Right.
Luke: Actually, that’s a very hard question. My gut is just to say I’d take music, but thinking about it, I think comics could offer more recognition somehow? Or more economic viability? At least, I do comics more these days than music, and music stresses me out more I think. Gosh, it’s really hard. Any time previously in life, I’d say music no question. I’ll go with my gut. Music.
B: Haha, it’s really not a fair question anyway, so good job. I mean, you don’t have to choose, and you shouldn’t have to. And really, the two probably do influence each other, at the very least in that you’re flexing your creativity, no matter which one you’re using.
Luke: Exactly. Thank you for not making me choose for realsies. That would have been… upsetting.
B: Actually, it was for real. NO MORE COMICS FOR YOU!
Luke: AAAAAAGH!
B: On that note… any final words? Before your career, uh, I mean this interview, is over?
Luke: Hahaha. Well, I will note that I filmed myself this entire time. So we can post an incredibly boring hour long video of my typing responses to you. Which, like, three people will think is really funny.
B: Hahaha yessss, bonus footage!
Luke: Really though, I want to say thank you for letting me talk about myself for so long without feeling like a jerk. Cuz I do that anyway, just usually people don’t want me to, haha.
B: But of course! I find it interesting, and I am sure my readers will also. I insist that they do. I command it.
Luke: Awesome. I’m going to steal them. You know, that’s the rad thing about comics is that we can share readers, and encourage all our followers to get into our friends’ and colleagues’ creations without a feeling of competition. And there’s such an incredible variety, always something new. Keep doing what you’re doing!
B: Exactly! Go team!

In this series I interview the musicians who lent their talents to the Picket Line soundtrack, many of them comics enthusiasts and storytellers in their own right. Laura Cone is the woman behind Portland, Oregon’s charming Upsidedown Cat, and wrote the song “About Your Way” for the soundtrack. She and I talked over G-chat about how she started writing songs, when she thought she was going to learn accordion.

B: Well, let’s kick this off with the same question I’ve been starting everyone with. Describe the sound of Upsidedown Cat to someone who hasn’t heard it before.
Laura: Ha. I usually say Casio-Pop or Indie-Pop. Or songs that are stories. I guess sometimes I find it hard to describe to people. I know it’s not kids’ music, but it just so happens that a lot of kids love it, which I think is awesome!
B: You’ve gotten some radio play on an Atlanta children’s program right?
Laura: Apparently. I think it’s called The Kids Are Alright. Also I’ve been played on 94.7 KNRK’s Saturday morning show Greasy Kid Stuff. The Atlanta show found me through them.
B: I can see how kids would enjoy the sound, but I agree, the lyrics really aren’t aimed at children. Not that they are offensive or anything, but it’s mature songwriting. You touch on emotions that everyone is familiar with, emotions that are particularly intense in childhood: disappointment, fear, frustration, and loneliness, as well as hope, curiosity, and wonder. Combined with very descriptive imagery, it’s all very evocative. Are you writing from specific memories?
Laura: I would say my songs are mainly about specific memories. Sometimes they are imagined, but mainly they are true. In that way the album is really personal, and I guess that could feel young, though I was 19 when I started making songs.
B: How did you begin writing songs?
Laura: I like to say I first began writing songs by accident, haha. I didn’t plan it, and wasn’t really excited about it at first. I had an acquaintance, I guess you could say, who was offering music lessons. I wanted to learn to play accordion, perhaps because my grandma did, and I’ve always liked They Might Be Giants. Anyway, so I signed up for four lessons with Todd Fadel. Except they were songwriting lessons! “Why would you want to learn music unless you could play your own songs?” There was just one problem: I was afraid of singing in front of people. Todd taught songwriting with an improv method. You would take a few ideas and try them out, and then record it, and later go back to it and do some editing, if that makes sense. Anyway, after a few months, I was a lot more comfortable with the process, and meanwhile I was learning to sing at church. Pretty soon after that, if I remember correctly, I became a part of Ink Brethren, which was a group songwriting game. Being a part of Ink Brethren for months really helped me grow and have fun with it, and become less scared.
B: So how long of a process was it, from where you started out without any songwriting, to the point where you were comfortable singing and performing your songs in front of someone?
Laura: I would say I’m still not super comfortable with performing in front of groups. I’m definitely comfortable singing, after years of practice at church, but I need to practice more to perform comfortably, singing and playing at the same time. I would say, though, I took lessons for three years, and Ink Brethren met for over a year, and by maybe three or four months into Ink Brethren I wasn’t as afraid of singing in front of other people. Hmm…so I don’t really know. While doing songwriting, I was also in college and working, and so for my whole music-life it’s been a part-time thing. We’ve made it through the few shows I’ve had, but I’ve always felt just barely.
B: Yeah, I think it gets easier with the doing. Otherwise there is this mystery there, or like, you think of all the things that could go wrong. But when you’re actually doing it, you realize even if those things DO happen it’s not the end of the world
Laura: Yeah, I think the next step is finding some regular people who are committed to practicing with me, because that is the best (the only?) way I practice. With the shows I’ve already had, we would practice for a show specifically and just try to learn six songs or something.
B: Accountability is key. I’d love to have that with drawing, as well, or else it’s really easy to let it slip.
Can we talk a little about “About Your Way”? What was your first reaction when I asked if you would write a song for a comic?
Laura: It was really fun writing a song specifically for the book. It was a fun challenge, pretending to be a character. Another reason the song was fun was that my boyfriend Mike (Alston) played on the song, and I kind of let him add some of his musical style to it. In some ways it’s more like the Christmas EP (It’s Winter) we did last year, because he played a lot on that.
B: You showed me drafts along the way, and it was really fun seeing the progression. I remember there was a big difference after Mike added his tracks. The song was really nice already, but it did add some really beautiful sonic layers.
Laura: It was great to have you there to send tracks to, to make sure the song sort of fit with what you were hoping for.
B: You recorded “About Your Way” in Mike’s studio, Sound Ghost, right?
Laura: We did record at Sound Ghost, which was awesome. I’m so thankful to know someone like Mike who is so knowledgeable about recording. I started recording my demos at home on my tape recorder and computer, but Soon Fall Will Be Here and everything after it are much, much better thanks to the studio.
B: It really does take things to the next level. Your home recordings worked really well as their own thing, but hearing the records you’ve recorded at Sound Ghost, including your Picket Line song, it really does move things into the next bracket, as far as sound quality goes. As for a maturing songwriting style, that’s to be expected no matter how you’re recording, right? Or does working at Sound Ghost affect your song writing at all?
Laura: I’m not sure if working at Sound Ghost affects the songwriting, but I know the instrumental arrangements (with the input of Mike and our other friends) really help bring the songs together. With Soon Fall Will Be Here, I just had bare-bones demos going in. Then, working for months at Sound Ghost, we developed them into more full songs, with bass, and layering real drums and Casio drums. One great thing about hanging out at Sound Ghost is that I’ve heard and seen other songwriters record, and gotten to know more about their processes, or sounds they’re trying to get. I think it helps me think more about arranging songs.
B: This is kind of a generic question, but I’m actually really curious because your sound is so unique, but who are your influences, musically?
Laura: Musical influences… well, music with storytelling, lyrics, and harmonies (especially boy-girl harmonies) are sounds I’ve always liked. when Todd gave me some Mates of State albums, and introduced me to Damien Jurado and Dear Nora and stuff, I think that was huge. I love LAKE, and Nedelle, as well as Quasi and Thanksgiving, and other Portland bands. I think my friends always influence me. I know Agents of Future are a big influence. Also Kelli Schaefer and Drew Grow, as I learned to sing with them on Sunday mornings at The Bridge.
B: It seems like The Bridge has been a great conduit for some of those collaborations, too, hasn’t it? A number of Picket Line collaborators are, or have been, involved there. I think that speaks loudly for the kind of community spirit it fosters.
Laura: Yes, I think without knowing the Fadels or Bridge folks, I may never have gotten into music, or….maybe just at a slower rate. Bringing community together in song is awesome. I definitely believe in sing-alongs. I love that my fans and friends know my song lyrics and want to sing along. And I find it hard not singing along to my favorite bands at shows. I feel really fortunate to know so many songwriters, so we can talk about songwriting process and stuff. And for the few shows I’ve had, I’ve gotten to open for some of my favorite bands, like LAKE.
B: Yeah, what an honor to open for one of your favorites!
Laura: Yeah. I was also honored to be included in your project Picket Line, everything from reading the script a long time ago, to being invited to write a song for it. It was really fun, and I know as an artist, it takes support from other friends and artists, and I think your process of including all of us is awesome. And maybe it makes the book have more voice, if that makes sense.
B: Awesome, yeah, thanks Laura! I think it was a really important aspect for me, to involve other artists. I think you’re right – it does increase the voice. Thanks so much for talking with me!
Laura: Of course!

Check out more from Upsidedown Cat at their website, and listen to Soon Fall Will Be Here and other recordings at http://upsidedowncat.bandcamp.com/

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In this series I interview the musicians who lent their talents to the Picket Line soundtrack, many of them comics enthusiasts and storytellers in their own right. Andrea Carter is the bark and the bite behind Kitty Versus Wolf, and contributed the song “Fighting to Standing” to the soundtrack. She sat down with me over G-chat to discuss the school of Trial and Error, her relocation to Minneapolis, and why she avoids specifics in songwriting.

B: I’m a little early in contacting you. Six minutes early!
Andrea: Whoa. That must be a record or something.  Two artists arriving early?
B: Definitely a record. Ok, well, this question might be getting old, but I’ve been asking everyone to start off by describing their sound, in case someone hasn’t heard it before. And people seem to hate that question!
Andrea: It’s not a bad question, it’s legit! Well, my sound is whatever I’m feeling like at the moment. But lately, I’ve really been into alt-country. That’s primarily what my new album sounds like. My next album, well that’s going to be a different story. I think my next album will be a lot more orchestral and synthy. I’m interested in all aspects of music, and I think I’m ready to expand.
B: You’ve already got two albums in the queue? Let’s talk about the first one – you’ve been recording songs for that right?
Andrea: Yeah my first album, ‘Dear in the Headlights’ will be on sale mid-November. We’re finally done with all the recordings and we’re ready to start mixing and mastering. It was a HUGE deal. I had no idea that making a record was going to be so much work! I’m learning a ton. And I hope the second one will be out next year.
B: Fantastic! I guess I didn’t know ‘Dear in the Headlights’ was that far along. It makes sense that you’re already thinking quite a bit about the next album then – that’s a healthy sign!
Andrea: Yeah. I’m pretty excited. I wrote the first album with my ukulele, but I’m trying to write this one with just my guitar.  It’s going all right so far.
B: How are you planning to release ‘Dear in the Headlights?’ Digitally?
Andrea: Well. I’m going to release it digitally, yes. But I’m also going to print CDs. I’ve decided that it’d be a good move, you know, to have something that people can take away after shows.  I’m working on a lot of other merchandise actually… homemade merchandise, that is. I guess I didn’t realize how much work that would be either! I think that’s why I entitled the album ‘Dear in the Headlights.’ I really do feel like it’s always trial and error. When something doesn’t work, I gotta rework it and make it better… path of least resistance, you know? I feel like a little kid, even though I’m 27.  I just kind of start running and hope something works!
B: All of that learning is probably one of the most valuable things to come out of an experience like this – aside from the music itself.
Andrea: Yeah, having something to show for it is huge!  It’s easy to just ‘be ambitious.’  It’s another thing entirely to be ambitious with one goal in mind…. it gets hard. Lots of ups and downs.
B: Definitely. So, talking about goals, you recently took a jump to make singing into a career rather than a hobby. Was that more of a mental switch, or an actual situational switch for you? (And by situational I mean, making life-decisions according to that goal.)
Andrea: Good question. It’s definitely both, though, for me it was mental at first.  But then after I lost my job, it was pretty darn easy to make a situational switch–moving from Madison to Minneapolis. All in all, it was definitely the best move for me to make, given my options. It kinda showed me how bad I wanted it.
B: Why Minneapolis?
Andrea: Tons of reasons! But for starters, it’s a great city for music and art. The people here are so supportive of anything to do with art and community in general. And secondly, I have a lot of family here.  It’s been so easy to meet people, I can’t even tell you. I just love it here. And well, as much as I love Madison, the city isn’t very supportive of local musicians. It’s sad, but a lot of musicians I know moved out for that very reason.
B: Yeah, that makes sense. Madison has a lot going for it, but maybe that’s not one of them. Speaking of Madison musicians, though, you’ve been a critical player in some Madison bands like Recreation Station and Merle Outlaw – and many of those musicians help out with Kitty Versus Wolf. Do you find your collaborations bleed together, or is each project pretty distinct from each other?
Andrea: They do really bleed together, though I suppose that’s expected.  I think that’s why I wanted Kitty Versus Wolf as my own personal project, rather than making it a band. And now that Aaron (of Merle Outlaw) and Shawn (of Recreation Station) have their own projects, it’s really cool to see specific nuances change, depending on who’s directing it. And by that, I mean, it’s just easy to pick out each other’s styles and strengths, depending on who’s directing a project.
B: Yeah, that makes sense. You guys have kind of developed a collective, maybe without even meaning to!
Andrea: Yeah. It is a collective. We’re like a music gang. We walk around and snap our fingers and get into fights.
B: Hooligans!
Andrea: Ha. well we definitely snap our fingers… but ehhh maybe not the fighting so much.  Though, I do like to think of myself as a hooligan.
B: I’d like to hear Shawn sing some West Side Story, haha.
Andrea: Shawn’s a rabble rouser.
B: So, did I remember this detail right – you didn’t really start singing until you were in college?
Andrea: Yeah. college. Well, funny thing is that where I grew up, the arts were not encouraged. So, yeah, I went to college thinking I was going to be a politician, then realized that I couldn’t do it. So, I got a degree in consumer protectionism thinking I’d work for the FTC. And then I realized, I couldn’t do that either. So when I graduated I was pretty sure I was just going to be a bum.
B: Did you just wake up one morning and realize you have an incredible voice? Or how did that work out?
Andrea: I mean, people told me I could sing well, but I just never really believed it.  It took a LONG time before I actually started singing so that it meant something to me–being creative. [So one of my] friends discovered I could sing, and we started a band in 2007.
B: Was that Merle Outlaw?
Andrea: No, it was actually a blues band… and it was named after me. AH! It was embarrassing!
B: Haha, well we all have our embarrassing projects starting out, right?
Andrea: Oh yes, I’ve got the embarrassing project under my belt. After that, I joined a soul band and a country band, and did some other projects. [Then] I got burned out, quit everything and started up Merle Outlaw with a few friends. It was pretty fun. It wasn’t until Merle Outlaw that I started writing. And it was after Merle Outlaw that I started playing the ukulele, so about a year ago.
B: It’s an impressive rap sheet, though, for starting kind of late in the game.
So, let’s talk about “Fighting to Standing” for a second.
Andrea: Ah! Yeah. Let’s do that!
B: That song was written and recorded before Picket Line was completed, and then grafted into the soundtrack project. In my opinion, it fits thematically and tonally, but how does it feel to have a song you’ve written with one purpose in mind used for something else completely?
Andrea: Well, honestly, that’s exactly what I want a song to be like. I want the listener to let the song take on a meaning of their own understanding. So, for you to think that, it’s perfect. It’s right on. When I wrote that song, I didn’t really know what I was writing. It just kinda came out. It wasn’t until it was recorded that I looked back and thought, whoa! There’s a good message in here.
B: It’s kind of a vessel that you get to create, and other people get to fill with their own meaning.
Andrea: Couldn’t have said it better myself.
B: But it doesn’t take away from what you’ve created, only adds to it. “Fighting to Standing” fit so perfectly, in my mind, with the story, so I’d say that philosophy was a success in this case.
Andrea: Yeah, it really did! After reading your book, I really understand why you wanted the song. I usually avoid being specific on purpose. There are exceptions, but you know…
B: Would you approach it differently, for example, if you were asked to write a song specifically for a project?
Andrea: Yeah, I would approach it differently if I had to write for a project. I don’t have much practice at that, admittedly! But I have done it, and I like doing it, I just prefer to write a song without parameters.
B: What does your songwriting process look like?
Andrea: You know, people ask me this often, and you’d think I’d know how to answer it by now.  But truthfully, I hardly know. I just know that I want every song I write to be the best I’m capable of making it.  But I usually have little songs running around in my head all day long. And I record them. I take my recorder everywhere. And then I just eventually sit down and string together all those little melodies that are rattling around in my head. I personally feel like my songwriting has improved immensely, now that I play an instrument, but it’s completely possible for me to write an entire song without playing any instruments at all.
B: And just tell others what to play?
Andrea: Yeah. Like, I can still hear what chords I want to go underneath. I can get very picky. Aaron and Shawn know this! They’re great. They have both really been instrumental (!) in helping me develop as an artist. I don’t know where I’d be without them. Fact.
B: Well, I think it’s symbiotic, then, because you’ve made some beautiful contributions to their music as well. The Recreation Station track on the soundtrack, for example, which you sang vocals in.
Andrea: Yay! Recreation Station!
B: Well, we can wrap this up whenever, but I wanted to mention the shows you played in Milwaukee and Green Bay as part of the Picket Line book tour!
Andrea: That was a lot of fun playing on the book tour. Can’t wait for the west coast leg of it!
B: It will happen! I’m enjoying a little break, meanwhile.
Andrea: Yeah, you’ve been working it. Good for you! It’s hard to wake up and make your own schedule, but awesome at the same time. Good thing you’ve got awesome friends and support around you!
B: Yeah, this soundtrack project has really been fun to showcase those awesome – and talented – friends!
Any closing thoughts?
Andrea: Closing thoughts: This interview was brought to you by the letter B and the number 60. Merry Christmas to all! And to all a fantastical night!
B: Haha, perfect. Spoken like a true madman.